Short Bio

Edward R. Sykes, PhD (Comp Sci), PhD (Education), MSc (Comp Sci), MEd (Education), BEd (Education), BSc (Comp Sci + Math)

Ed Sykes, originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, achieved his Honours B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science (Summa Cum Laude) in 1992 and an M.Sc. in Computer Science in 2005, both from McMaster University. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Guelph in 2012. Additionally, Sykes holds a B.Ed. (1993) and Ontario Teaching Certificate (OTC) from the University of Western Ontario, along with a M.Ed. (1998) and a Ph.D. (2006) in Education (Cognition and Learning) from Brock University.

On July 1, 2024, Sykes commenced his new role as an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Guelph. In this position, he will continue his commitment to fostering research collaborations with industry and community partners, with a focus on the application of AI to enhance their initiatives.

Before joining the University of Guelph, Sykes played a pivotal role in founding the Centre for Applied AI (CAAI) at Sheridan College, where he was the inaugural Director. The CAAI, originally the Centre for Mobile Innovation, is dedicated to applied AI research, that develops innovative solutions through collaboration with industry and community partners. Under Sykes's leadership, the centre attracted over $15 million in funding, supported more than 25 faculty members as Principal Investigators, provided research opportunities for over 300 students through part-time and co-op placements, and established partnerships with over 25 industry/community entities, including notable organizations such as IBM, Apple, Telus, Rogers, PointClickCare, Geotab, SOTI, the Town of Oakville and many others. Sykes also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Computing and Software Department at McMaster University, and co-supervises MSc and PhD students.  Dr. Sykes also holds the position of Affiliate Scientist with KITE at the University Health Network (UHN) at the University of Toronto.

Sykes's scholarly contributions include two book chapters, 26 journal articles, and 30 papers presented at international conferences, along with over 40 invited talks and presentations. He has supervised more than 20 undergraduate capstone projects and theses in computer science. His notable accolades comprise the 2021 NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation, valued at $100,000, and the Minister’s Award of Excellence in 2020, presented by the Minister of Colleges and Universities for his contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds an h-index of 13 and his research work has garnered nearly 700 citations.

With more than two decades of teaching experience at the university and college levels, Sykes has utilized leading-edge technologies in education and has been instrumental in curriculum development for numerous courses at McMaster University, Brock University, and Sheridan College.

Throughout his career, Sykes has assumed several leadership positions, including Director of the Centre for Applied AI, SHARCNET Research Chair, Curriculum Architect, and Program Coordinator of Computer Science at Sheridan College. As SHARCNET Research Chair, he led research initiatives in high-performance computing, big data, and visualization, advocating for the use of SHARCNET resources among his peers. In his role as Curriculum Architect, he co-led the design and implementation of a new Honours Bachelor's degree program in Computer Science (Mobile Computing), collaborating with faculty, peers across Canada and from international universities, and industry partners. Sykes has also fulfilled various administrative roles, including Academic Advisor for the School of Applied Computing and Chair of the SHARCNET Site Leaders.

Awards:
  • NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation (2021) (Mobile Health research) [$100,000 award]
  • Minister’s Award of Excellence (2020) Minister of Colleges and Universities, for contributions in the community during COVID-19. The award program was open to all 24 colleges and 22 universities in Canada. Out of the 200+ submissions, I was one of the 39 recipients selected. [19.5% success rate]
  • NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship (2011) (Ph.D. research).
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (2011) (Ph.D. research).
  • Brock University PhD Fellowship (2004) (Ph.D. research)
  • Brock University M.Ed. Fellowship (1998)
  • Best Ph.D. Presentation Award (2003) (IASTED International Conference on Computers and Advanced Technology in Education)
  • Dr. R. A. Thompson Prize. (1990) (Awarded to the student with the highest cumulative area average in Mathematics and Computer Science).
  • Summa Cum Laude (B.Sc. from McMaster University)
  • Dean’s Honour List (Last 9 years of university).